Altstadtfriedhof

Where Schalke is buried

Gelsenkirchen's Altstadtfriedhof ("old town cemetery") is divided: The northern part is reserved for members of the Protestant church, the southern part for members of the Catholic church. Those who are buried here tell the story of Schalke even before industry discovered the land below the Emscher for itself.

The Old Town Cemetery: its graves represent a cross-section of the city's history. Beneath the flowers and gravestones lies history lived. Buried here are miners, horsemen, industrialists and  - last but not least - footballers. Schalke also rests here - August Schalke, to be precise. Born in 1845 on the Schalke farm, his name refers to the time when Schalke was not yet an industrial village. A time when there was no Sutum Bridge over the Emscher. Hans Väth does not lie far from Schalke's grave. In 1928, he joined the Consolidation Colliery as an architect and soon became head of the construction department. Väth is one of the fathers of the Glückauf Stadium.

One of the players who played with Kuzorra and Szepan at the Stadium also found his final resting place here at the Old Town cemetery: Willi "Heia" Dargaschewski. Born in Gelsenkirchen, he made his debut for FC Schalke in 1939 at the age of 18. He won the championship with the miners in 1940 and 1942. From 1945, he helped to navigate the club through the difficult post-war years alongside Kuzorra, Szepan and Klodt. He left FC Schalke in 1951. 18 years later, Rolf Rüssmann's star rose over Schalke. From 1969 to 1980 - not counting a brief interlude in Bruges - he was under contract with FC Schalke continuously. During this time, the "Tall One" worked his way tirelessly into the hearts of the fans. In 1972, the central defender won the DFB Cup. In February 1987, he rejoined the Knappen. This time in the role of manager. However, he resigned less than six months later after clashing with president Günter Siebert. In 2009, Rüssmann died a few days before his 59th birthday.

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